Real Wedding | Vita + Koen

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met at a New Year’s Eve party in 2008 in Amsterdam. I just came back from a trip to India and Koen was almost making a solo trip to Thailand. We connected that evening in that club and talked for hours. We didn’t start dating from day one but kept in touch with each other during the trip Koen made and e-mailed for hours. After half a year, our relationship began to take shape and we found ourselves buying our first house in Amsterdam and travelled all over the world together. Five years later I got pregnant of our, first of three, beautiful little girl Bodil. And now we already are a family of five.

I am a director at a youth care organization. Koen is the founder and CTO of Enreach. We work hard but also play hard. We both have a preference for special art, unique fashion, music and travel.

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

Our initial location cancelled on us just three weeks before our wedding day. With only a few weeks left we decided to take matters in our own hands and move the wedding to our summer estate where we had enough outdoor space to host the wedding. Our wedding planner, together with an Art Director, managed to create an imaginative theatre festival with multiple stages and acts.

How many guests did you have?

We had 70 guests.

Tell us about your outfits.

Vita had her eyes on getting a bespoke dress from designer Tess van Zalinge. Creating this dress was a cooperative process where the end result was reflecting Vita in every detail of the dress. The dress is crafted out of sustainable materials and partly from refurbished dresses. Koen’s suit was tailor-made by L’Atelier in Amsterdam. The suit came in two editions, one more formal for the ceremony and one for the festival. A custom-made bowtie was crafted from scarves that were handed out to all the guests as part of the invitations. The scarves where design by Rosa de Weerd who also designed the invitations. The girls wore dresses from Repose Amsterdam, a local designer from Amsterdam who organised a fitting session for the girls.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

For us the most important aspect was to have an out of the ordinary experience, combining theatre, exclusive food, an intimate setting with our family and friends. We asked one of our closest friends to perform the official ceremony, making it more personal and intimate.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

Our kids. All three at an age where they could experience the day, each in a different way. For them, having the wedding at a place they know and feel at home, the day could have lasted forever. The band. We knew from day one we wanted Convoi Exceptional to perform at our wedding as we have seen them performing at a festival years ago. With their energetic improvisational beats, they lifted the festival tent to higher levels.

Any tips for couples getting married, particularly during the pandemic?

Try not to consent into concessions too fast and too much. It’s your wedding and you are in the driver seat. Even in times of pandemic you can find creative solutions and ways forward. In our situation it ended up into a unique wedding even better than the original plan!

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

All credits go out to our wedding planner Lotte Groosman of With Lotte, florist Edenique Floral Design and our Art Director Rosa van Wissen who managed to set a unique scene in only three weeks - as well as our photographer Iris Dorine.